Hey guys!

My name is Nilaani Kayamboo and I’m officially a SOPHOMORE at the University of Pittsburgh. I am going on a 2 week study abroad trip to China and am super excited to share it with you!

I want to go to China because it is a rapidly developing nation with the hottest technology and I want to experience first hand. I also love Chinese food, so I want to taste authentic Chinese food to see how it differs from the “Americanized” version here. Also, who would turn down China?!

I think the main professional work differences I will experience is how China is very team based, so any failure in a company would be considered a loss for everyone. I feel like this is a completely different environment than how it is here because everyone is held accountable for what they are assigned to, but China has a strong collectivist culture that fosters relationships where everyone takes responsibility for group members. I wonder how that affects job positions and company hierarchy (how people get promoted).

I think I will encounter a lot of cultural differences in China. It’s can’t even imagine how crowded China is going to be. Is it going to be NYC crowded or worse? I like my personal bubble and I would people to maintain a safe distance where they can’t touch me!! Also, I was told to be very careful with how I carry my things around in China and to watch out for pickpocketing. I am more likely to lost things here, but I feel like I am more likely to have something stolen there, but we’ll see how that goes!

I think the main political differences I will experience will be the control the government has over technology and what can be streamed. I was told that I most likely won’t be able to access my social media account because the government likes to control what sites can be accessed and things like that. I am most concerned about losing all of my streaks while I am in China (sorry!) and keeping in touch with my friends. However, I think that this will be a nice social media cleanse if I don’t get to use it for a couple weeks.

I think the major differences in living conditions will be the pollution. I was told to steer clear of wearing white shoes in China that are expensive because the pollution will probably ruin the shoes. I also think that there are going to be a lot of apartment style living options rather than individual homes to save space due to the huge population in China. ALSO, THE BATHROOM SITUATION IN CHINA?! Will I have to use the squatting toilet? I’m not sure, but I am not very excited to find out…

I think the most exciting part of this trip will be visiting the different historical sites and finally being able to make a connection between what I read in my history classes and being able to see it in person and experience it. (Did I mention authentic Chinese food already?)

That’s it for now! Thanks for checking out my blog and I hope you’ll follow me on my journey across China! (:

xx

Nilaani